Electoral Democracy or Electoral Clanism? Russian Democratization and Theories of Transition

t seems clear that Russia’s attempts at democratization and Westernization will not meet the expectations of Russia’s democratic reformers. As happened in previous eras of Westernization, only some elements of Western liberal democracy have taken root in Russian soil, the most important of them being competitive elections. Other fundamental elements of liberalism have not only failed to flourish, but have degenerated since the late Soviet era. Compared with the late Gorbachev period of 1990–91, the mass media and courts in today’s Russia are less independent, society’s role is weaker, personal rights and freedoms are less secure, and even elections are less free and fair than they were in 1990. To understand this outcome of Russian democratization, the correlation between the electoral process and the development of liberalism should be examined.